Bluemling coaches Mt. Lebanon to win against Manheim
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Tyler Bluemling discusses strategy with his players during a timeout. Bluemling filled in for Joe David and coached Mt. Lebanon to victory, 67-57, against Manheim in the first round of the PIAA boys’ basketball playoffs.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Tyler Bluemling experiences tension during action as interim head coach of the Mt. Lebanon boys’ basketball team.
Michael Palmer soars to the hoop for two of his 12 points in Mt. Lebanon's 67-57 win against Manheim.
Hayden Mitchell lays up a basket during Mt. Lebanon's 67-57 win against Manheim. The senior tossed in 19 points, including an 8-for-9 showing from the free throw line in the decisive fourth quarter.
Sean Loughran puts up a shot despite the defensive efforts from Manheim Township players. Mt. Lebanon used six points from Loughran to win the game, 67-57.
When Mt. Lebanon defeated Manheim Township, 67-57, in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A boys’ basketball tournament on March 9 at Peters Township, Tyler Bluemling posted his first official victory as head coach.
“And probably it will be the last,” he acknowledged because head coach Joe David resumed the reins when the Blue Devils battled Taylor Allderdice in the second round of the state playoffs.
“Joe is not retiring for 45 more years,” Bluemling said.
David just took a one-game leave of absence to watch his son, Jonny, play on his senior night for the University of Kentucky. David, however, was only a wireless connection away. Though Face Time and a cell phone rely with assistant coach Jordan Albert, David watched the game on a laptop computer from his hotel room.
“We were face-timing with him so he was watching live and talking to one of our assistants,” explained Bluemling. “We had a backdoor there in the fourth quarter that I am sure got us two big points and those came from somewhere in Lexington.”
The big decisions, however, rested on Bluemling’s shoulders. And things got interesting when Manheim cut Lebo’s margin to 48-45 late in the third quarter and 55-53 with five minutes to play.
“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous but the hay was in the barn leading up to this game,” Bluemling said. “Coach (David) had them so well prepared that I was just there to manage the game.
“Sure, you get nervous but this group knows what to do. They have drilled everything to the nth degree. They weren’t going to see anything that they hadn’t seen before and they weren’t going to do anything that we hadn’t done before.
“They also are not phased by anything,” Bluemling added. “It’s probably their best quality. If they are up 20 or down 20, they look exactly the same. They gave me some calm before things got too crazy.”
Calm was Hayden Mitchell as he converted all seven of his free throws down the stretch. He was 8-of-9 from the line in the fourth quarter. He scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the final frame.
Michael Palmer also cashed in on 3-of-4 attempts from the line in the last quarter. He tossed in 12 tallies as did Jake Hoffman. Blaine Gartley finished with 18 markers.
Though he only contributed six points, Sean Loughran was a force on the boards, pulling down key offensive rebounds to enable Lebo to maintain possession, particularly in the decisive fourth quarter.
“While all the decisions were mine,” Bluemling said, “the guys certainly made them easier when they knocked down the big free throws, getting key rebounds and by them all shooting well.
“They are an awesome group of guys. A fun group,” he added. “They play hard. They are super close. Nothing gets to them.”
Not even playing for a different leader on the bench. But then again, Bluemling said the coaching staff is really just one unit.
“It’s a six-, seven-man group, how many ever we have on staff,” he said. “We all collectively have say in what we do.”
And what Bluemling does now is happily move back to his duties as an assistant coach. Lebo’s all-time leading scorer and a member of the Distinguished Blue Devil Club has no intentions of ever leaving to become a head coach somewhere else.
“I love Mt. Lebanon. I teach in the district.,” said the Jefferson Middle School teacher. “I love everything about Mt. Lebanon and with the way coach treats me so well, I don’t really have a desire to go anywhere else.”